Photography studio from Pier 59 opens in Los Angeles : Prince Federico Pignatelli della Leonessa, founder and principal of Art and Fashion Group and the New York-based Pier 59 Studios, today announced that his newest space located at the historic Bergamot Station in Santa Monica, California, will open in June 2006. Pignatelli conceived and designed the 27.000 square-foot, two story photography and multimedia studio complex to cater to Pier 59 Studios' fashion and celebrity clientele throughout the Los Angeles area. Structurally, Pier 59 Studios West evokes the acclaimed Pier 59 Studios in New York City, a worldwide recognized brand, with 42-foot cross steel trusses that allow for vast column-free studios with 27-foot ceilings and m

Pier 59 Studios West
The luxurious and elegant space holds four studios (one with western exposure and three "dark" studios with large skylights), each of which includes private bathrooms and showers, private loft space, changing rooms, hair and makeup stations, VIP lounges, and corporate offices. Each studio also contains a central dining area and bar, set against a wall of windows, which offers full high-end catering services from an acclaimed Italian restaurant. A state-of-the-art equipment room, top-of-the-line camera and lighting equipment, fully-equipped digital stations, and a retouching lab complete the studios.

Pier 59 Studios West - Special events
"With all of the cutting-edge amenities offered at the highly successful Pier 59 Studios in New York now available at our Los Angeles-based facility, Pier 59 Studios will be able to serve our exclusive and world-famous celebrity, fashion and advertising clientele, from the East to the West Coast," said Mr. Pignatelli. The Pier 59 Studios West space has been designed for modular transformation and allows the entire area to open, with the use of giant sliding walls, into one immense, uninterrupted and adaptable studio. As an entirely open space, Pier 59 Studios West is ideal for large-scale productions, as well as selective fashion and special corporate events.

Pier 59 Studios West - architectural details
"We have added a number of unique architectural details throughout the space, including orthogonal walls, modern sculptures, and a unique and extravagant $175,000 clear glass and steel bridge. This art piece, which connects two sides of the studio's upper floor, will be an inspiration to the artists working there," added Prince Pignatelli, who designed all aspects of the space, including its finer details. The studios are opening with a seven month delay: "It just grew into a larger project as I was working on it, and time became a non issue," concluded Pignatelli.

About Pier 59 Studios
Pier 59 Studios, a $4.5 million project, features car access to all studios, high fidelity 4 Kilowatt sound systems, T1 high speed internet lines, satellite TV, and loft VIP lounges. The studios have also been equipped to supply 2,000 AMPS of electrical power to easily accommodate the most power-demanding photo shoot or video production. Bergamot Station, a renowned art center on the West Coast, is a 130-year-old historic converted railroad station in Santa Monica, filled with high-end photo and art galleries and other creative and artistic businesses. Pier 59 Studios New York is located along the Hudson River in New York City's fashionable Chelsea. The 110,000 square-foot complex - which pioneered the use of high-end technologies for still photography production, remains the largest premiere modular studio of its kind in the world.